Cotton-press



'UniTnn' STATES PATENT Trina.

J OHN EGBURT LOCKETT, OF DANGYVILLE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO J. S.Itl-IEA AND JOHN IV. RHEA, OF SOMERVILLE, TENNESSEE.

COTTON-PRESS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,334, dated April 3,1888.

Application filed July 7, 1887.

T a'ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J onn Eenonr LOOKETT, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Dancyville, in the county of Haywood and State ofTennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cotton-Presses,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in cotton-presses; and itconsists in the peculiar [0 construction and combination of devices,that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointedout in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of acotton-press embody- :5 ing my improvements. Fig. 2 is an end elevationof the same. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line a a;of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 3/ yof Fig. 1, a portion of the bottom of the press-box being broken away,so as to disclose subjacent mechanism.

A represents the ground-frame of the press, which comprises a pair ofparallel sills, B, and cross beams O, which connect the ends of the saidsills. In the said crossbeams are mortised the ends of a pair ofparallel horizontal beams, D, the said beams being firmly secured inplace by means of keys or wedges E, which enter openings in the uppersides of the beams 0 C and bear against the beams D. The latter areconnected near their centers by a parallel pair of transverse beams, E,which form the support for the bottom G of the press-box.

H represents vertical corner-posts which rise 5 from the beams D. Theupper ends of the said cornenposts are connected in pairs by a pair ofhorizontal bars, I.

K represents two pairs of transverse bars, which connect the ends of thebars I, the inner 0 of the said bars K being directly over the upperends of the corner-posts H, and the outer of the said bars K beingsecured on the projecting ends of the bars I.

L represents a pair of pulleys, which are 5 journaled between the pairsof bars K. At a suitable distance from the lower ends of the cornerpoststhe latter are connected in pairs by horizontal transverse bars M, andon the upper sides of the said bars rest the ends of a pair oflongitudinal horizontal bars, N, which Serial No. 243,684. (No model.)

also connect the corner'posts together. At a suitable distance above thebars M and N are similar bars, 0 and P, which also serve to conneot thecorner-posts.

It represents the press-box, comprising the sides S and the ends T,which are secured to the inner sides of the bars M N and O and P, asshown. The ends T are provided with central vertical open slots, U.

V represents two pairs of vertical guide- 50 bars, which extend from thebars M to theinner side of the inner bars K, and are arranged on theouter sides of the end walls of the pressbox at slight distance apart.The spaces between the said guide-bars coincide with and formcontinuations of the slots U.

represents a pair of outwardly-opening doors, which form the sides ofthe lower portion of the press-box and have their lower edges hinged tothe upper sides of the beams 13, as shown. The said doors are providedon their outer sides, at their upper and lower edges, with longitudinalbattens W the ends of which project beyond the ends of the door.Vertical transverse battens ii have their ends secured 7 5 to the endsof battens WV at a suitable distance from the ends of the doors, therebyforming slots X in the ends of the doors, as will be readily understood.

Y represents a pair of end boards, which constitute the ends for thelower portion of the press-box. The opposite ends of the said end boardsare adapted to enter the slots X of the doors W when the latter areclosed to the vertical position, and the said doors are provided withhooks Z and keepers A, by means of which they may be secured whenclosed.

B represents a longitudinal horizontal shaft, which is journaled inthebeams G and extends under the bottom of the press-box. This shaft isprovided at its center with a large drum, 0, and hasa pair of drums, D,of much less diameter at its ends, and a pair of drums, E, at the innerends of the drums D and of the same diameter as the latter.

F represents a capstan, which has its lower end journaled in sills B andits upper end journaled in the outer end of an arm, G, that extends fromthe center of one of the bars N.

H represents a rope, which has its central I00 portion secured andcoiled around the drum 0, and the ends of the said rope are secured tothe capstan and coiled thereon in opposite directions.

1 represents the follower, to the upper side of which is secured alongitudinal bar, K, the ends of which extend through the verticalopenings between the guide-bars V and project outward beyond the saidguide-bars a suitable distance. Anti-friction rollers L are j ournaledon opposite sides of the bar K and bear against the outer sides of theguidebars V.

M represents a pair of elevating-ropes, which pass over the pulleys Land have their upper endsprovided with depending yokesN, which engagethe ends of the bar K. The lower ends of these ropes are secured to thedrums E and are coiled thereon in the same direction.

0 represents a pair of lowering-ropes,which have their upper endsprovided with yokes P, that are secured on the ends of bar K, and thelower ends of said ropes are secured to the drums D, and are coiledthereon in the direction opposite the coils of the ropes M.

The operation of my invention is as follows: By turning the capstan inone direction the rope which connects the capstan to the center drum ofthe shaft will cause the latter to rotate, and thereby uncoil the ropesM, coil the ropesO, and consequently cause the follower to be lowered inthe press-box with sufficient force to compress the cotton therein andform the same into a bale. By reversing the rotation of the capstan areverse movement will be imparted to the shaft, and consequently theropes 0 will be engaged and the ropes M will be coiled, and therebyelevate the follower to permit the removal of the beam. It will beobserved that the upper ends of the guidebars V project a considerabledistance above the upper end of the press-box, and thereby enable thefollower to be elevated to such a height above the press-box as topermit the cotton to be readily thrown into the upper end thereof.

A cotton press thus constructed is cheap and simple, extremely powerful,and is ve'ryeasily operated.

It will be understood that the press may be operated by steam orhorsepower, if preferred, in which event a band wheel or pulley should beplaced on one end of the shaft on the outer side of the frame to make itmore accessible.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination, in abalingpress, of the press-box, the vertically-movable follower, theshaft having the drums, the elevating and lowering ropes connected tothe follower and having their lower ends attached to the drums andcoiled thereon in opposite directions, the capstan, and the rope coiledon the central drum of the shaft and having its ends attached to thecapstan and coiled thereon in opposite directions, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, in a baling press, of the press-box having thevertical slots in its end walls, the frame for the press-box, having theguide-bars V projecting beyond the upper side thereof and arranged onopposite sides of the slots, the vertically-movable follower I,

having the bar K on its upper side, the ends of said bar projectingthrough the spaces between the guide-bars and having the rollers Lbearing against the outer sides of the guidebars, the pulleys L,jourualed at the top of the frame, the rotating shaft arranged under thepress-box and having the drums, the ropes O, wound on two of the saiddrums and having their upper ends provided with yokes P, engaging theends of bar K, and the ropes M, passed around the pulleys L, attached tothe remaining drums and coiled thereon in a direction opposite ropes O,and having the yokes N at their pendent ends engaging the ends of bar K,all combined to operate substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in pres ence of two witnesses.

JOHN EGBURT LOOKETT.

WVitnesses:

J. M. HULL, P. D. OARNEY.

